best/good robotics kit

[yohanevindra]

i've got quite a bit of experience with PICs, and C programming, and was jus thinkin of buying a robotics kit for myself.

lego mindstorms seems quite good, but the only problem is that i tihnk its inputs and outputs are quite limited.

and then i also know about robo builder. anyone else know of any good/better kits?

 

[Triode]

If you're working with pics and C programming don't even bother with mind storms, they are very limited. If you don't want to make motor controllers and build your own robot chassis there are some good kits out there, the mongoose from blueroom electronics is the first thing that comes to mind when you say your working with PICs and you want a robot . It requires no modification to the design other than putting your program on the PIC. I believe it is build it yourself. I can't say that it's the best cause I haven't tried it. But the other products from that site that I've tried were good values and well supported.

But like I mentioned before, it depends on how far you want to dig into things. You can buy that kit and all you have to do is code, you can get robot platforms that have motor drivers and build your own control electronics, you can get robot chassis and build the drivers and the control, or you can make the whole thing from scratch. What level are you aiming for?

if you're looking for other platforms they have all kinds here: Robot Shop, Development Platforms it ranges from cheap boards with wheels to stuff that only the government would be likely to buy.

 

[3v0]

Another vote for the Mongoose kit.

It uses a compact PCB with the controller and H-Bridge. The differential drive motor/gearbox is a Tamyia.

It is solid and mostly off the shelf parts which makes it easy to repair.

Bill has done some clever things like inserting IR sensors into the gearbox which you can use for navigation.

It is a nice kit.

 

[yohanevindra]

hmmm..i looked at it, and it does seem good..msut read up on it a bit more tho..

jus a quick question, the mongoose, do i have to solder everything when i get it?

i guess the mongoose is good..because i dont want a pure humanoid/robot kinda kit, but something quite flexible..and i guess the mongoose is there..wht's the arduino used for??

 

[yohanevindra]

and how do you connect the mongoose to the ICD2 / PC?

 

[3v0]

Yes, you get a unpopulated PCB and a bag of electronic parts.

There is no arduino on the mongoose.

You said you had PIC experience. It uses a PIC that you can program using the language of your choice.

 

[yohanevindra]

yeah..i know PIC...but how do you connect it to the computer?do you need a junebug as well?

 

[Triode]

I think if you have a means to program a pic the ICSP port is right there, it gives you access to the VPP, +5V, GND, PGC and PGD lines on the onboard pic chip. It does connect readily to a junebug though.

 

[3v0]

If you can program an 18F pic you can program the mongoose. It has an ICSP connector.

 

[yohanevindra]

i can program the PIC18F using the ICD 2. I use the Microchip PICdem board. but how do i connect the mongoose to it?do i connect the mongoose to the junebug via ICSP?and then the junebug to the computer?

what about arduino?is tht also a good board?

 

[Pommie]

If you have a Junebug it connects straight to the mongoose. If you have a Pickit2 or ICD2 you will need to make up a cable.

Mike.

 

[yohanevindra]

i have a ICD2 but i also have a junebug..so like i used the ICD2 as a programmer/debugger for my PICDEM board, i can use the junebug as a programmer for the mongoose?

is arduino like PIC programming or is it different?what do you guys think?

 

[Pommie]

Just use your Junebug to program/debug the Mongoose.

The Arduino is a preprogrammed AVR controller. See here.

Mike.

 

[yohanevindra]

Right right.

About the arduino,that's the same that I felt. Since its preprogrammed,does that give us less flexibility?or is it no difference?or is it actually easier?I was looking at the website for arduino and it seems like they have their own version of C with preprogrammed functions.

 

[3v0]

You can use either the ICD2 or the Junebug to program the mongoose.

Right right.

About the arduino,that's the same that I felt. Since its preprogrammed,does that give us less flexibility?or is it no difference?or is it actually easier?I was looking at the website for arduino and it seems like they have their own version of C with preprogrammed functions.

The arduino uses C with a nice set of libs. But it also uses a bootloader for programming. Since you have both a ICD2 and a Junebug/PicKit2 using a bootloader does not make sense. With the ICD2 or the Junebug you can also debug the target in real time.

Because arduino uses C you can leverage many of the tutorials if you understand the PIC. In a way it is better because you need to understand the code to port it. Simple copy and past will not work.

 

[yohanevindra]

so mongoose and junebug is good...

im a bit confused..do you say that arduino is good?or when compared to PICs its not really?

 

[3v0]

so mongoose and junebug is good...

im a bit confused..do you say that arduino is good?or when compared to PICs its not really?

Yes junebug good.

Gosh that could get political. The Arduino is sort of like training wheels on a bike. They are not bad if you need them.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

so mongoose and junebug is good...

im a bit confused..do you say that arduino is good?or when compared to PICs its not really?

The whole Arduino thing seems to confuse people greatly - it's NOT a processor - it's just a development system based on an ATMEL AVR processor. The Junebug is a programmer (and development system) based on a PIC.

 

[yohanevindra]

right right...I'm quite experienced in PICs and just need to get back into them since i'm a bit rusty...

so i think i might as well avoid arduino..and jus stick to the PICs...

 

[Norlin]

I generally explain that Arduino is to AVR like BASIC Stamp is to PIC, other examples also apply